Regulators will pursue an investigation into Cambridge Analytica despite the data firm announcing its collapse.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which has been looking into the British firm's handling of data harvested from millions of Facebook users, and raided its offices in March, said the inquiry would continue.

Cambridge Analytica said on Wednesday that it had been the subject of "numerous unfounded accusations" and had been "vilified" for activities that were both legal and accepted as a "standard component of online advertising in both the political and commercial arenas".

It blamed a "siege of media coverage" for driving away customers, meaning the company's continued operation was no longer viable, leaving it "with no realistic alternative to placing the company into administration".

An ICO spokeswoman said: "We will be examining closely the details of the announcements of the winding down of Cambridge Analytica and the status of its parent company.

"The ICO will continue its civil and criminal investigations and will seek to pursue individuals and directors as appropriate and necessary even where companies may no longer be operating.

"We will also monitor closely any successor companies using our powers to audit and inspect, to ensure the public is safeguarded."

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Damian Collins, chair of the Commons select committee for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said Cambridge Analytica and parent company SCL "cannot be allowed to delete their data history by closing" and that investigations into their work for vital.